Excellent text on Samadhi-oriented Meditation.
One of the key new (for me) ideas from this book: Dullness
Q. What is a “distraction”?
A. Rapid alternation of attention between object of attention and some other sensation.
Q. What distinguishes a subtle distraction from a gross distraction?
A. The proportion of the time spent on the distraction vs. the meditation object: in the latter case, the distraction occupies attention most of the time, and the meditation object slips into the background.
Q. What distinguishes a distraction from “forgetting”?
A. When forgetting, the breath has disappeared from attention and is just an object in peripheral awareness (if that). When attention is captured by a distraction, the breath is still a subject of alternating attention.
Q. Goal of stage 3?
A. Overcome forgetting and falling asleep
Q. Mastery condition for stage 3?
A. Rarely forgetting the breath or falling asleep
Q. Techniques used in stage 3?
A. Following the breath, “connecting”, labeling, checking in
Q. What is the “connecting” technique, introduced in stage 3?
A. Making comparisons and associations using your observations: is the exhalation or inhalation longer? How do they change over time? As your state of mind changes? etc.
Q. What’s meant by the “checking in” technique, introduced in stage 3?
A. Training yourself to periodically monitor for changes in quality of attention, instead of relying on that awareness to occur spontaneously.
Q. Goal of stage 4?
A. Overcome gross distractions and strong dullness.
Q. How is gross distraction meant to be overcome in stage 4?
A. By developing continuous introspective awareness, reducing the movement of attention between the breath and gross distractions.
Q. How to prevent gross distractions from occurring in the first place?
A. Recognize when a subtle distraction has the potential to become a gross distraction, then tighten up attention on the meditation object.
Q. Distinguish introspective attention and introspective awareness.
A. With introspective attention, a “snapshot” of your inward state (drawn from introspective awareness) becomes an object of attention. Introspective awareness is continuous peripheral monitoring.
{Metacognitive introspective awareness}: use the breath as an anchor while you mindfully “{watch the mind while the mind watches the breath}”
Q. Problems with monitoring using introspective attention (vs. introspective awareness)?
A. You must move attention from the breath; you can attend only to a (delayed) snapshot, not a continuous picture.
Shinzen Young’s formula for the experience of pain: {suffering = pain * resistance}
Q. How does the “connecting” technique evolve in stage 4?
A. The goal becomes to connect changes in the breath over time to shifts in your state of mind.
Q. This book’s four metta prompts:
A. Free from suffering, free from ill-will, filled with loving-kindness, truly happy